XFL offers solid experience for bettors
Editor’s note: Each week VSIN.com experts provide their take on Las Vegas sports betting action.
The XFL returned to mostly positive reviews.
The overall quality of play was good — it’s not the NFL, but that’s OK — and the new rules were good without making it gimmicky. The referees mostly let the players play, plus there was transparency in the booth reviews.
It was also refreshing to see the open discussion of point spreads, totals and future odds on the network broadcasts.
VSiN is doing live BetCasts for the more serious gamblers, but it seemed the networks struck an appropriate balance for their mainstream audiences.
Overall, favorites and underdogs split 2-2 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) in Week 1.
DC and Houston won and covered as chalk in the Saturday games, and New York and St. Louis won outright as underdogs Sunday. Home teams were 3-1 SU and ATS with Dallas, the preseason favorite, the only host to fail in the openers. Unders went 3-1 against closing totals.
The Wildcats host the Dallas Renegades on Sunday (noon PT, ABC) in a game of what were probably the two most disappointing teams in the season openers.
While the Renegades were upset 15-9 by the St. Louis Battlehawks, the Wildcats were blown out 37-17 by the Houston Roughnecks.
It was so bad that defensive coordinator Pepper Johnson was fired after one game.
Both teams were without their No. 1 quarterbacks. Josh Johnson was limited in practice for the Wildcats this week and Landry Jones might return for Dallas.
The Renegades are 3.5point road favorites, but injury reports are few and far between so far in the XFL, so the recommendation is to pass on this game for now.
Charles Kanoff played OK at times for the Wildcats, but he’s also dealing with injuries (shoulder, head).
The Wildcats plus the points would be a good bet if Johnson or Kanoff start against Dallas backup quarterback Philip Nelson. But you should pass if thirdstringer Jalan McClendon plays.
College basketball this weekend
Here’s a look at the top college basketball games to bet over the weekend.
Syracuse at Florida State (Saturday): Like clockwork, the Orange are in NCAA bubble trouble with March around the corner. Syracuse (14-9) ranks 56th overall on Kenpom.com and needs a few key wins to strengthen its case, so this is a big opportunity in Tallahassee.
Jim Boeheim’s team is 3-1 on the road in ACC play, with wins at Notre Dame, Virginia and Virginia Tech and a onepoint loss at Clemson. Florida State is No. 8 in the AP poll, yet the metrics show this is an overrated team (No. 20 on Kenpom).
The Seminoles (20-4) shot three-for-18 on threepointers and made 12 of 20 free throws Monday in a 7065 loss at Duke. Syracuse will be about a seven-point road underdog and could be worth a look due to its recent success on the road.
Maryland at Michigan State (Saturday): From No. 1 in the preseason to out of the top 25, the Spartans carried the baggage of a three-game losing streak into Tuesday’s game at Illinois.
The Terrapins sit on top of the Big Ten standings. This is a familiar script, and coach Tom Izzo almost always finds a way for Michigan State to click down the stretch and get rolling in March. Don’t stop believing.
Arizona at Stanford (Saturday): Just when it seemed the Wildcats were about to make a big run in the Pac-12, the wheels fell off Saturday in a 65-52 loss to UCLA. The Bruins were 12½point underdogs in Tucson, and the only sense you could make of that result is Arizona relies heavily on freshmen and young teams will look bad at times.
So this becomes a much bigger game for Sean Miller. He has the talent edge against Stanford, which is 1-5 in its last six games.
San Diego State at Boise State (Sunday): Expect professional money to show against the Aztecs (24-0) as stubborn bettors continue to try to bet against the nation’s only undefeated team.
San Diego State had covered three straight going into Tuesday’s game against New Mexico. Wildly inconsistent for most of the season, Boise State has won five of six and will give the Aztecs their best shot.